Born in Georgia and raised in Greensboro, Frank Harmon attended the NCSU School of Design from 1959 to 1961. He interned with
Edward Loewenstein 1963-1964 then and moved to London to study at the Architectural Association School of Architecture, graduating in 1967.

Harmon started to practice architecture in 1968 with McMinn, Norfleet & Wicker of Greensboro; moved to New York to work with
Richard Meier for three years; was a principal in the firm of Harmon & Simeloff RIBA in London until 1979; then started his own firm in Raleigh in 1981.

Harmon taught at Auburn briefly and at the NCSU School of Design for 20+ years as a Professor of Practice. He was very close to
Harwell Hamilton Harris. See Harmon's remembrances of Harris
here.

Since 1992, Harmon’s firm,
Frank Harmon Architect PA, has won more AIA Design Awards than any firm in North Carolina. In 1995 he was awarded the
Henry Kamphoefner Prize.
He was on the cover of Residential Architect in May 2002. Harmon received the Tower Award, the F. Carter Williams Gold Medal, the COTE Award, and a Brick Honor award
from AIA North Carolina in 2013.

In early 2008, he won a national design competition for the AIA NC Center for Architecture and Design in downtown Raleigh which was completed in late 2011, below. Harmon's office is located in that building.
Harmon retired in 2015 at a party attended by hundreds of his friends,
colleagues, and fans. In 2016, he joined the staff of NCMH as Director of
National Affairs.

Artist studio for Stephen A. Wainwright at
3812 Dover Road,
Durham. Property sold in
2015
to Stacey E. and John G. Burkert.

1989 - The William B. Brown Residence,
3300 Morningside Drive, Raleigh. Built in 1978 as a rather plain contemporary spec house by Westminster Homes of Cary. Sold in 1980 to Austin and Lida Lowrey. Harmon did an extensive renovation and addition resulting in the layout above. Sold in 2000 to Rachel Clarke and Mark Cullifer. Sold in 2007 to Christopher and Sybille Ward.

1994 - The Frank and Judy Harmon House,
114 Brooks Avenue, Raleigh, right across from NCSU.
Built by Greg Paul. Structural engineer was T. C. Howard. Mechanical Engineer, Ernest Myatt. As of 2016 still owned by the Harmons.

1995 - The James (Jimmy) and Betty Devane House,
1119 Offshore Drive,
Fayetteville NC. On Branson Lake.
Sold in 2013 to William John Gillis.

Around 1996 - The Clark and Bonnie Cramer Residence Addition,
6008 Canadero Drive, Raleigh. Original house designed by Clark Cramer.
Vinny Petrarca was the project architect for the addition. Photo by Leilani Carter. 2014 landscape design by Sharon Glazener. 2014 garage addition by
Vinny Petrarca.

1998 - The Gigi and Warren Edwards Residence,
828 Runnymede Road, Raleigh. 2300 square feet. Top two photos by
James West. As of 2012 still owned by the Edwards.

1999 - The Frank D. Thompson House,
811 Bryan Street,
Raleigh. Built on the site of a previous house, bottom photo above. Harmon and
Thompson had a disagreement midway through and the design was completed by architect Roger Cannon. Featured in Walter Magazine in 2015. With
Jessica Johnson Moore, Thompson renovated the 1951 house (at 817 Bryan) just north of this one.
For sale in 2016.

1999 - The James Franklin Taylor and Janice Taylor House, aka the Taylor-Hocking House,
Scotland Cay, Bahamas. 3000 sf on 1/2 acre. Cost $100 per sf. Harmon came up with the idea of an inverted roof that would function like an upside-down umbrella, directing rain through a central spout that runs down the center of the house and into two 8,000-gallon cisterns on the ground floor. The roof's upside-down pyramid form also helps cool the home naturally: Its shape forces the air beneath it to flow more quickly than that above it. To avoid the 50 percent tax the Bahamas imposes on imported materials, the 10-person building crew obtained as much as it could from local sources. Vinny Petrarca and Quan Bahn were the project architects, with Petrarca spending several months onsite during construction. The builder was Ivar Unhjem Construction, Marsh Harbor, Abaco, Bahamas. Middle two photos by
James West.

2000 - The Rich and Amy Podurgal Residence,
2700 Webb Street, Raleigh. They turned this old 50's brick ranch (top photo, left) into an exciting new home. 4573 square feet. Five bedrooms. As of 2012 still owned by the Podurgals.

2004 - The Lynda Strickland and Marty Ferris Residence, aka the Strickland-Ferris House,
4221 Laurel Ridge Drive, Raleigh. The land was bought from the James Franklin Taylor family in 2003. The house uses glass that is 27 feet tall at its highest point. Interior photography by Jeffrey Jacobs, exterior by Timothy Hursley. Featured on the
TMH April 2009 Tour.

2005 - The Joseph Harmon Residence, aka the Low Country Residence,
638 Rue De Muckle, along Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant SC. 1.5 acres. 2500 square feet. Won a National AIA award in 2009. 4SE was the structural engineer. Orbit Engineering was the mechanical engineer. Landscape design by Judy Harmon. Built by Design Build Corporation. Sculptor Christian Karkow did the galvanized steel screens. Top two photos by Richard Leo Johnson. Bottom five photos by Beth Broome. Part of the 2011
TMH Auldbrass Tour. Part of the 2013
NCMH Auldbrass Tour.
Part of the 2015 NCMH Auldbrass Tour.

2005 - The Barringer Guest House, Chatham County. With growing families of their own, the children of the property's owner built a guest house on their mother’s farm to stay during holidays and other visits.

2007 - The Duke Smart Home, aka the Home Depot Smart Home,
1402 Faber Street, Durham. Commissioned 2004. Harmon was the designer and architect of record. 6000sf. The managing architect was SmithGroup who also did construction administration. Built by Bovis Lend Lease. This residence hall and engineering learning laboratory is a testing ground for smart and sustainable technologies. Initially developed by a student as a senior thesis, the program advances product prototyping, marketability, and sustainability.

2007 - The Lost Rock House, Benton County AR. Part of a series of houses and public buildings to be built as an ecomodern development. Commissioned 2006.
Matt Griffith was the project architect. Marlon Blackwell and Coleman Coker were also involved. Unbuilt.

2014 - The Sabrina Terry and Jon Lamb House, aka Seven Sisters, St. Helena Island, Frogmore SC. 50 percent of this 1600-square-foot Modernist house is screened porches. Project architect, Jacob Burke. The land in a floodplain so living quarters are 14 feet above sea level. Built by Matt Phifer of Phifer Contracting Services and the owners.
Won a 2016 AIA Triangle design award.